Sunday, November 29, 2015

So what´s in store this week? Alternative sounds from down under and across the Atlantic. Sundays not only mean a new episode of The Walking Dead, so here you go.

Dirty-fuzz-punk-blues rockers The Floors who
have been turning heads for the past four years are ready to drop their
newest track ‘Join The Fight’. The track is a reflection on the
question every musician asks themselves at one point or another “Is what I’m doing worth it” - the
angular guitar riff, sledge hammer drums, driving bass and Luke Dux’s
gruff vocals come together to make a beautiful and messy anecdote in
their signature fuzzed out style.

Spoken has released a music video for their track "Falling Apart" off their upcoming record "Breathe Again" (out December 11th on Artery Recordings). "Falling Apart" is the 2nd single to be released from the album following the critically acclaimed title track "Breathe Again" (featuring Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire) which was released earlier this year. The album is available for pre-order now on iTunes.

Aussie rockers The Getaway Plan has released a new video of Dark horses, from their latest album Dark horses.

Frank is a kick ass rock band from Sweden, check out their new single Let´s Party here.

Coffeeshower is a rock band from Italy, formed in 1999 and signed to Ammonia Records. Their new album Houses is out now featuring the single Broken pieces. I love this song.

Planara is a modern rock band from St.Petersburg, Russia. The band released their debut single Rolling The Dice in 2013, followed by the EP Hostiles in 2014.
Their new self titled album was released on Nov 25, 2015.

Tigress - Human (2015) Londoners with a present sound
The female fronted rock band Tigress are label pals with Fort Hope, I The Mighty and Cartel on Lab Records. They should be really proud of their debut EP "Human" because it´s a lovely modern rock / pop punk affair, the singles "Alive" and "Human" are only two fine examples of the high potential of this band. The infectious songs "Miracle" and "Lucky ones" are even better.
Definitely for fans of Lambretta, Flyleaf and even Avril Lavigne, the future sure is looking bright for this band.
There is no stopping this Tigress, and soon on a playlist near you.
Bravo!

Leah Capelle - EP (2015) It´s the singer, not the song
Not only is Leah Capelle a very beautiful woman, she is a talented songwriter and an amazing singer. Just watch the video of "Would you know" on Youtube and you will fall in love, but I warned you because the song might get stuck like superglue to your head.
Leah´s crystal clear voice is reminiscent of Carly Simon while the music goes in the same vein as Kim Hill, Suzanne Vega and Tracy Chapman.
Except for the upbeat rocker "My confession" where that sounds like a collaboration between Vanessa Carlton and Alanis Morissette.
This 6 track EP is produced by Jeff Bova who is known for his work with Celine Dion, Missing Persons and David Lee Roth. I think Leah Capelle and Jeff Bova work well together, I hope this is not the last time we get to see these two pro´s make magic.

Laney Jones - Golden road (2013) Songs with strong roots
How about some afternoon tea and some suitable music from a gal that grew up on an exotic animal farm in Florida. Here is "Golden road" from indie-folk singer Laney Jones.
She released her debut "Beyond the blue" in 2012 and recently also dropped the new single "Work it out". Òn stage, Laney is backed up by her band The Spirits.
Laney plays the banjo, ukulele, guitar and harmonica so she really knows how to pull those strings.
The music is peaceful and bring thoughts to artists like Tanita Tikaram and Sarah Donner, except for the bluesy "Black coffee". Laney certainly caught some attention in the music biz because she received praise from Alison Krauss who said Laney´s songs are really beautiful.
Well, she´s an honest artist that doesn´t need American Idol or The Voice to break through.

Courtney Chambers - Tales of the aftermath (2015) Greetings from a lady with a big heart
There is always a moment for some soft rock in life, it´s a nice break from all the heavy stuff I usually listen to or every single electro pop song that has invaded the music scene.
"Tales of the aftermath" is the first album of new music in 8 years from Courtney Chambers, it´s also her 4th album so she´s hardly a newcomer.
Courtney´s songs are featured in the TV series "The L Word" and the film "Callous", she is also a member of the Heart tribute band Dog N Butterfly where she payes homage to Nancy Wilson.
I think of Courtney´s original music as smooth but guitar driven adult rock, imagine Sheryl Crow meets Stevie Nicks and we´re close to the sound of "Tales of the aftermath".
Overall a nice album.
Highlights : "Wasting time", "Extraordinary lives".

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Welcome to ”Rockholm” and two days of melodic rock in the capital of Scandinavia on feb 19-20! On Friday the 19th TOTO plays in Stockholm and we invite you all to the
greatest after party ever with three great bands on stage. On Saturday the 20th the party continues with seven amazing bands! This will be THE melodic rock party not to be missed!!!

Sweden is widely
regarded as a ”mecca” of melodic rock with many of the best new bands
around hailing from our beautiful country. And if you look back to the
80s and 90s a lot of the great bands were Swedish. So finally - It´s time to start a new chapter in the history of Swedish melodic rock. we proudly present, Rockweekend AOR!Schedule: Friday 19 february 22.00 - 03.00 3 bands (The first band will start to play 30 min after TOTO ends.

Saturday 20 february 16.00 - 03.00 7 bands

Venue: En Arena Globen. Palmfeltsvägen 1, Stockholm (T-bana Globen) Capacity 600 (550 general admission and 50 VIP tickets).
The venue is being rebuilt in january to provide a bigger stage with
higher clearance, video screens and a VIP balcony next to the stage.

Steve Smith is back in Journey, for the first time in almost 2 decades! The former Journey drummer who played on all albums from Evolution (1979) to Trial by fire (1996).Here´s a message from Smith.

I have been invited to tour with Journey for the 2016-2017 touring
season and I have agreed to play drums for the group during this period!
I’ve enjoyed working with Journey guitarist Neal Schon for many years
and playing on his solo albums, including The Calling and his latest
release Vortex. In fact, Neal and I still share the creative chemistry
we had when I was a member of Journey. When we work in the studio on his
music, it's essentially just the two of us, jamming, writing, arranging and recording.

Over the years, he has mentioned that he'd like to have me tour with
Journey again. The invitation has always been appreciated but with my
busy schedule always being booked at least a year in advance, the timing
was never right. Some changes within the band have once again brought
me the invitation to tour and this time we were able to plan in advance
and work a Journey tour into my schedule. Like an actor capable
of playing a wide variety of roles, I'm a musician who enjoys, and is
comfortable performing, diverse genres of music. My group Vital
Information, as well as the other great jazz and world music artists
that I tour and record with, remain a musical priority. I will also be
performing with them during the next two years and by 2018 will resume
my career full-time as a touring and recording jazz musician. My decision to tour with Journey in 2016-2017 is based on many factors:
My relationship with Neal is strong and we enjoy playing together. I've
been in touch with Jonathan Cain and Ross Valory and we have a good
rapport both personally and musically. All four of us share a common
history and have created some enduring music together. I've met and
spent time with Arnel Pineda and have great respect for him both as a
person and vocalist. I am excited to revisit a role that was a
formative part of my career, performing music that has touched many
people for more than 30 years. My kids Ian, Elizabeth, Kasia and Zac
have not seen me play with the group (Ian has but he was too young to
remember), it will be fun to have them see me perform with the band.
Finally, I can say "yes" to the many fans who have asked if I would tour
with Journey again. My hope is that Journey fans will appreciate
a new line-up similar to the Escape and Frontiers era -- and will want
to revisit this timeless music with me. By bringing my musical
experience to the table along with the years that the members of Journey
have spent touring, I'm sure this new incarnation of Journey will
develop its own special magic. It's going to be amazing. I look forward
to seeing all the fans on the road!

After a hiatus of 11 years, Dakota
reunited in 2014 to record a brand new album, titled 'Long Road Home'.
Original band members Jerry Hludzik and Bill Kelly joined up with John
Lorance, Eli Hludzik and various guest artists to record the new album
at SI Studios, Pennsylvania. Two years in the making, 'Long Road Home'
is a culmination of countless hours of work and passion poured into a
project that is close to the band's heart. We hope all our loyal fans
world-wide will once again enjoy the music of Dakota. Long Road Home is out now.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Brisbane's The Comfort are releasing their brand new single 'Roses' on Tuesday December 1.

The Comfort are a heartfelt, passionate and genuine trio of guys out of
Brisbane borne out of punk and hardcore sounds. The track 'Roses' is the
first taste of a new sound for the band, who were a 5-piece, but now a
slimmed-down band sees their sound taking on a cleaner, big rock sound -
soaring vocals, anthemic hooks and choruses that bring the house down.
This song is really good, so keep an eye out on Soundcloud when the band will release a stream.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Green Day today announced that they will release a limited Black Friday vinyl edition of their two-time Grammy® Award-winning album American Idiot on
November 27, 2015. The special release will be available exclusively at
independent record stores in the United States. Find the store closest
to you at www.recordstoreday.com.The 5,000 limited edition run will include a red and black LP (Disc 1) and a white and black LP (Disc 2).

Orange County´s pride Thrice will release a new album in 2016, Dustin Kensrue and Co are working on their 8th studio album and follow up to Major / Minor (2011) right now.
We can´t wait!

Remember The Skids? The Scottish punk rock / new wave band that released 4 albums between 1979 and 1981 with the debut Scared to dance, as my favorite of these four.
It was re-issued with bonus tracks in 2005 and is a must have if you´re a fan of old school punk.
The band reunited in 2007 for some concerts, but I thought it would cool to feature two of their best songs.

Last band's studio album Bad Magic was successfully released in August
2015 • European tour between November 2015 and February 2016 •
Includes many hidden gems plus hard to find tracks from Motörhead,
Hawkwind, The Yardbirds, Saxon feat. Lemmy, Brian Robertson …
Motörhead, the English rock band formed in 1975 by bassist, singer, and
songwriter Ian Fraser Kilmister, (everyone calls Lemmy), who has
remained the sole constant member. Though Motörhead are often
considered a precursor to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Lemmy has
always dubbed their music as simply "rock and roll". To date,
Motörhead have released twenty-two studio albums, ten live recordings,
twelve compilation albums and five EPs. As of 2012, Motörhead have sold
more than 15 million albums worldwide. Many Faces of Motörhead is
delivering a must-have compilation of original recordings, side projects
of the bandmebers, originals of songs being covered by Motörhead, and
covers of Motörhead titles.
The 3 disc box set The Many Faces of Motorhead drops Dec 18th.

Japanese metalcore act Crystal Lake´s new album The Sign is out now, watch the official video Prometheus here.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

There might be other artists topping the alternative chart at the moment like X Ambassadors, Walk The Moon, Twenty One Pilots, Fall Out Boy and Cold War Kids. But you will find artists like Tonight Alive, Red Eleven and Shatterproof on Palace of Rock that might top the charts next year.

Breathing Theory is a hard rock band from Central Florida composed of heavy riffs, melodic leads, and gripping and thoughtful lyrics. Their latest EP Uprise Part 1 is available on iTunes with Part 2 coming soon. Check out the new single Breathless from the upcoming EP here.

Australian rock band Tonight Alive´s new album Limitless drops March 4th, 2016. Listen to the new single To Be Free here.

Shatterproof is a violin based alternative rock band with pop and punk influences from Fort Collins, Colorado.The band posted their new video Karma, taken from the forthcoming EP Paper House, out early 2016.

The story of Red Eleven began in 2009 under the name 'Project Red Eleven', when Teemu Liekkala and Tony Kaikkonen demoed a couple of songs together. Red Eleven released it’s first album ‘Idiot Factory’ through Secret Entertainment in April 2013. In March 2014, the Fins of Red Eleven signed a record deal with German label Lifeforce Records.Their new single I Follow is out now.

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Danish synth rock group Dune has released a new single on Spotify and iTunes, stream Trying to get to you here.

Victorious is the upcoming 4th studio album from Australian hard rock band Wolfmother, it is produced by Brendan O´Brien and is due out on Feb 19 through Universal Music Group.

Better Days by Highlives
Better Days is the new single from U.K based pop punk band Highlives, taken from their upcoming EP Misguided Youth. Out Dec 11th.

THE COMPLETE STUDIO ALBUMS 1990-2000, compiled of Cowboys From Hell
(1990), Vulgar Display Of Power (1992), Far Beyond Driven (1994), The
Great Southern Trendkill (1996), and Reinventing The Steel (2000) on
colored vinyl.The LP version of the studio albums box also includes a
7" with two rare, non-albums tracks making their vinyl debut. The first
is "Piss," a song that debuted in 2012 on the 20th Anniversary Edition
of Vulgar Display of Power. The second is "Avoid The Light" from the
Dracula 2000 soundtrack.
The 5 CD Box set is released on Dec 18.

Pyramids on Mars - Echo Cosmic (2015) Calling space
Canadian multi instrumentalist Kevin Estrella is influenced by various kind of music, everything from classical music with composers like Bach and Vivaldi to progressive rock bands Rush and Pink Floyd.
But he also show some love for heavy metal like Iron Maiden on his 2nd album "Echo Cosmic" and perhaps most of all, guitar hero Joe Satriani.
Estrella is a great guitarplayer but he´s far too sloppy with the rest of the instrumentation. He should also think about adding more nuances into his songs because there´s no need of filling out every little void.
The track "Tribute" is dedicated to Randy Rhoads and it truly sounds like it could´ve been an unreleased Ozzy song from the early 80´s, it´s one of the highlights along with "Battle for Rome" and "Sailing the oceans of Neptune".
For fans of Greg Howe, Dave Sharman

Charlee Remitz - Bright white trims (2015) The answer to the hit equation
What a talented artist she is, the young girl from Montana, USA by the name of Charlee Remitz who should be selling lots of records if you ask me.
She writes melodies like it was the most natural thing in the world, because there are no uncertainties in her new album "Bright white trims".
It´s even better than her first EP "These veins" that was good too, Charlee sound so self-confident and clever in these new songs. Her crossover of ambient pop, dance and electronica is irresistable. Songs like "Bmw" and "Juicebox season" totally shout out hit potential all the way from Iceland to Japan.
Listening to Charlee´s music must be like how it feels to be swimming with dolphins, lots of love.

Tod Hughes Project - Changing gears (2015) This motor needs repair
Although I can hear traces of legendary artists like Neil Young and Bob Dylan in the debut EP from Tod Hughes Project, I really can´t say this independent singer/songwriter from Calgary, Canada is worth to be mentioned in the same division as Young and Dylan.
"Changing gears" contains 6 songs of country flavored folk rock that wouldn´t be so bad if it wasn´t for Tod´s weak vocal performance, he´s a decent songwriter but hardly a lead singer.
He´s ok in the laid back "Just sing" but the music sink like a stone in other songs like "The quiet" and "The only person who won´t drink with me is you" where I´m not comfortable with Tod´s voice at all.

Moon and Pollution - The Box Borealis (2015) Sit back and relax
Listening to Minneapolis pop duo Moon and Pollution´s album "The Box Borealis" is like being on a journey, but without having a destination.
You´re just enjoying the trip and sieze the day, it´s not about where you´re going but what you experience during the time to get there.
I can hear the Norwegian fjords calling when I listen to Molly Dean´s enchanted vocals and Graham O´Brien´s dreamlike production. Just close your eyes and drift away.
The music goes in the same vein as The Joy Formidable, Massive Attack and Minipop. Good stuff.
However, I prefer to listen to this album in my headphones rather than in the speakers.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Modern rock band Lotus Crush will release their new single This Time Tomorrow on Nov 20 on iTunes and Amazon.
The band recently released a new video All The Same, taken from their latest album Rabbit Hole.

Train has released a christmas album entitled Christmas In Tahoe, it´s available on Amazon.

False Nines are an indie rock band from Manchester, England. Their debut single Can´t Afford To Wonder is out now.

Back Pocket Memory is a rock band from Los Angeles, their new album Victory and Empire is out now. Check out the new single Who drew first here.

About Me

My name is Kaj Roth and I´m a music addict from Sweden, I have written more than 6800 reviews at melodic.net and my music blog Palace of Rock. I am the lead singer on two albums with the progressive metal band Human Cometh and also on one EP and the concept album Phantom Cathedral with AOR band Blue Cow Kent . I´m a huge fan of music and love to listen to rock, metal, punk, progressive rock, AOR, fusion etc.My biggest hero is Steve Perry of Journey. But I grew up listening to Kiss, Slade, Nazareth and Stanley Clarke. Some of the bands I never get tired of listening to are The Who, Rush, Van Halen, Sex Pistols, Genesis, The Stranglers, Cheap Trick, Queen and of course Journey.